EurOil: Norway urges operators to "leave no stone unturned" in developing difficult gas resources

Norwegian offshore oil and gas operators should leave “no stone unturned” in developing the country’s vast remaining proven gas resources, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) reported on December 6, calling them to find new ways of extracting resources in spite of technological challenges.

Norway has stepped up to replace Russia as Europe’s biggest gas supplier, shipping out over 120bn cubic metres of the fuel to the continent last year. But most remaining resources are found in tight reservoirs, characterised by low permeability, and cannot be recovered using conventional wells. Production can only be profitable with more advanced extraction methods, including various forms of fracturing and the use of multi-branch wells.

Slim-hole technology can also be used, the NPD said, noting that these methods and technologies have been tested and applied on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), but primarily for oil extraction, though they have been used for gas elsewhere in the world, including off the coast of the neighbouring UK.

However, development of tight reservoirs only turns a profit if production is tied back to existing infrastructure.

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